Central Library plans major additions

Through partnerships and grants, the Central Library plans to open an art center, expand its computer lab, and open Cafe Commerce, a resource center for entrepreneurs, by early 2014.

More than $2 million of improvements are being made without dipping into the $4 million allocated for the Central Library from the 2012-2017 bond program.

The opening of the Marie Swartz Art Resource Center, in partnership with the Southwest School of Art, is perhaps the most ambitious of the improvements. The $200,000 project, excluding dollar amounts associated with collection costs, will serve as the school’s library of records beginning late fall. The Southwest School of Art, which faces the Central Library across Navarro Street, is projected to start its Bachelors of Fine Arts program in late fall 2014.

“This will be one of the finest collections of art resources in the region,” said Paula Owen, SSA president and CEO.

The new 4,500-square-foot section, located on the second floor of the Central Library, will hold both print and non-print materials, art databases and periodicals, accessible to SSA students and the public.

Mary Elizabeth Droste, who established the Droste Library and Resource Center at the school in 2005, underwrote the development of the space.

SSA is contributing $200,000 in capital improvements, which covers the creation of the art center. They also will add an approximate $50,000 in collection materials, such as books, journals and databases, which includes projected cost for future purchases.

The Central library will combine its art resource collection with the SSA, and contribute maintenance, reference staffing and staff costs for acquisitions, cataloging and processing the SSA collection.

The late Marie Swartz, the art center’s namesake, was an artist affiliated with the Southwest School of Art and a member of the San Antonio Library Foundation board.

Before the art center opens, the Connect Center, an expansion of the library’s computer lab, is tentatively scheduled to open Aug. 13.

The 12,000-square-foot space replaces approximately 25 outdated computers and some shelving with 75 new desktops and additional laptops and tablets.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center showed that 77 percent of people consider access to computers and the Internet as a “very important” service that libraries provide.

The expansion was funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, which awarded $7.9 million to the Texas State Library & Archives Commission for computer center upgrades statewide. Of that amount, $1.48 million was given to San Antonio public libraries, of which $869,947 was used for the Central Library computer center.

Finally, Cafe Commerce, a 10,000-square-foot center on the first floor of the Central Library, will provide resources, such as the entrepreneur network resource U.S.SourceLink, to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The project is part of Mayor Julián Castro’s initiative to assist small businesses.

A preliminary estimate for the cost of the project is $1.4 million. So far, City Council has set aside $1 million for the project. Organizers, however, are applying for a grant through the federal Economic Development Administration for about $400,000, said Alex Lopez, the assistant director of San Antonio’s small business office.

Salazar said the plan is to open the Cafe Commerce in January.

“These various enhancements and improvements will make Central Library a (major) resource for the city,” he said.

Projects related to the $4 million in 2012-2017 bond money are still being scoped out by library staff.